The present invention relates to a microcircuit card connector. It also relates to a process for installing the card in such a connector. More particularly it finds use in the field of chip card connectors, especially in the field of electronic minicard connectors. These connectors are generally designed to be installed in electronic apparatuses of small size and volume, typically in xe2x80x9cpocketxe2x80x9d apparatuses, such as portable radiotelephones. In prior art, connectors are known for receiving such microcircuit cards, such that a connector has both means for retaining the card in a connector space, and means for holding the card against the contacts of this connector. The interest of the invention lies in that it provides a connector having a simple means to retain the card in the connector in a position in which it is connected with the connector contacts.
In prior art, a connector is particularly known from the principle of document U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,552, which has a housing that forms a seat for a microcircuit card and has contacts at the bottom of this seat to come in contact with conductive segments of the microcircuit. The seat of this connector has a shape which is complementary to a volume defined by the card to be inserted in this connector. Hence, the distances between the borders of the seat are adjusted to correspond to the card size. In order to assure the quality of contact between the conductive segments of the microcircuit and the connector contacts, this connector has a cover. According to this document, the cover may be pivoted between an open and a closed position. In the closed position, a lower face of the cover abuts against the microcircuit card in such a manner as to press the conductive segments of the latter against the contacts of the connector. As a result, the cover prevents any vertical mobility of the card in its seat.
The microcircuit card is held in this connector by a first border set and by a second border set, the second border set being orthogonal to the first border set. These borders allow to delimit the seat. They prevent any longitudinal and lateral mobility of the card in the seat of the connector. Nevertheless, to this end, the seat size must be perfectly adjusted to fit the size of a card to be inserted, which is not easily obtained.
Such prior art connector involves a problem. Its structure is complex due to the use of a pivoting cover and, in addition, the connector is bulky due to the added thickness of the cover.
An additional shortcoming of such a type of connector is related to the fragility of its structure. In fact, in such a connector, the cover is attached to the housing by means of a mechanical joint. Since this mechanical joint is miniature-sized, it is fragile.
Also, a prior art microcircuit card connector is known from the principle of document EP-A-0 515 897. This connector also has a housing with a card seat. The seat is provided in such a manner that contacts are provided over a bottom of this seat to contact the conductive segments of the microcircuit. In order to retain the card in its seat, the housing has on a first side a groove to receive a first edge of the card and, on a second side, opposite to the first side, a tip. The tip is rotationally flexible. When a first edge of the card is locked in the groove, and the card is pushed down into the seat, a second edge of the card abuts against this chamfered tip. Then the flexible tip is slightly pushed inwardly towards the seat, which is partially undercut in that area, to allow the passage of the card and properly position it in its seat.
Further, the card is held vertically in its seat by releases of the groove and by the presence of the tip cooperating with a resilient lever which is provided on the lower face of the housing. Conversely, the longitudinal and lateral mobility of the card inside the seat is only assured by the fixed borders of the seat. As a result, in order to prevent any movement of the card inside its seat, the size of said seat must be strictly complementary, any clearance being accounted for, to the card shape.
Such type of prior art connector also has a problem. The card-receiving structure of the housing is fragile. The housing uses two flexible means, the tip on the one hand and the resilient lever on the other. Now, in order to properly insert a card in this connector, a strong pressure force must be exerted on the flexible tip. Also, in order to remove a microcircuit card inserted in such connector, the lock generated by the flexible tip must be released. To this end, a rotary force must be exerted on the axle about which said tip rotates. This axle is fragile, because it is attached to the edges of the housing by thin structures. In fact, these structures are specially designed to be thin to allow these rotary movements. Hence, there is the risk of rupturing these thin structures, thereby making the connector useless.
Also, an intrinsic variability of chip card sizes exists and is associated to production processes. Hence, a wider seat must be provided to accept the maximum number of cards. However, in this case the card is positioned in an insecure manner in its seat, and may even float therein.
The present invention has the object to solve both size and fragility problems of prior art connectors and variability problems, by providing a connector having a flexible member which causes a translation of the card in a seat of a housing of the connector, to retain said card in a fixed position in the seat. Therefore, the invention provides a housing such that on one side of the seat, a fixed border of the housing has overhanging releases to cover a first portion of a top surface of the card to be inserted in the seat. Also, on a second side, preferably opposite said first side, the housing has a flexible arm, situated within the dimensions of a frame formed by the housing. This arm is only fastened at one point of the border. The flexible arm has a free end which snaps inwardly towards the seat by elastic translation, parallel to the card plane, in such a manner as to force a card seated therein against the first border.
On the other hand, this flexible arm also has an upper release to additionally cover a portion of the upper face of the card. Such a connector generally has contacts over its bottom to provide contact with the conductive segments situated on the microcircuit card. In fact, such type of connector is specially conceived to receive microcircuit minicards.
In order to insert a microcircuit card in a connector according to the invention, a first edge of the card must be placed beneath the releases of the flexible arm. Then, pressure is applied on the card, which is disposed obliquely with respect to the seat bottom, to displace the card parallel to said bottom, and to deform the free end of the flexible arm. The flexible arm moves back until the first edge comes in contact with the borders situated level with the arm. Then, a second edge of the card, said second edge being opposite the first edge, is pushed down. When said second edge is pushed down into the seat, the card abuts against the contacts contained at the bottom of the seat. Once the card is parallel to the seat bottom, the pressure against the resilient arm is released, to let the card abut, under the effect of the pressure exerted by the resilient arm, against the first border of the housing. Then, the releases provided on this first border of the housing overhang a portion of the card.
Therefore, the card is held vertically by a cooperation between the seat bottom and the releases provided on each of the borders. Also, this card is held longitudinally by means of the resilient arm which forces the card against the second border of the housing. According to the invention, a lateral mobility of the card inside the housing has no adverse effect until such a connector may be provided whose size is finely adjusted according to the lateral orientation of the card. Alternatively, such a connector may be provided that the contacts provided over the seat bottom may abut against the most important segments of a microcircuit situated on a card to be inserted in this seat.
Therefore, the invention relates to a microcircuit card connector having a housing with a card seat and contact blades intended to come in contact with the conductive segments of the microcircuit, said blades being provided over a bottom of the housing against which the card is placed, characterized in that the housing includes a first border having an arm which is aligned with said border and is flexible to hold the card against a second border of the housing, said second border being opposite the first border, the flexible arm having at least one free end which elastically snaps towards the second border when the card is seated, to let the latter come to abutment in a predetermined position.
The invention also relates to a process for installing a microcircuit card in a connector, characterized in that it includes the following steps:
placing a first edge of the card against a first flexible border of a connector housing, so that the card forms an acute angle with a plane of a housing bottom;
pushing down a second edge of the card, said second edge being opposite the first edge, by deforming the flexible border thanks to a pressure exerted on the first edge;
placing the card parallel to the bottom;
releasing the pressure exerted on the flexible border to place a portion of an upper face of the card beneath a release of a second border.